A lawsuit has been filed against Tinder parent company Match Group, claiming the dating apps hook people with an endless, addictive and compulsive loop.
Six plaintiffs filed the federal lawsuit in San Francisco on Wednesday, seeking to make it a class-action lawsuit.
The big picture: The lawsuit claims that Match intentionally incorporates addictive features in its dating platforms, creating a “perpetual pay-to-play loop” that prioritizes profit over helping users find relationships.
- According to the lawsuit, users become “addicts” who purchase increasingly expensive subscriptions in order to access special features that promise romance and matches.
- The lawsuit argues that Match’s business model depends on generating returns through the monopolization of users’ attention and fostering dating app addiction.
- The lawsuit claims that Match’s apps employ dopamine-manipulating product features to turn users into “gamblers” constantly searching for elusive psychological rewards.
What they’re saying: A Match Group spokesperson called the allegations ridiculous, saying they have zero merit.
- “Our business model is not based on advertising or engagement metrics,” the spokesperson said. “We actively strive to get people on dates every day and off our apps. Anyone who states anything else doesn’t understand the purpose and mission of our entire industry.”
